Power Outtage - are my eggs dead?

[dorpersheep]

Hi everyone

I have chicken eggs that were on day 3, 10, & 17, and guinea fowl eggs on day 3. Our power was out for just over 2 hours and when the power came back the temperatures inside the incubators were down to 28C-29C.

What's the chances any of the eggs have survived? The day 17 ones are now partway through lockdown so I guess they will tell me what they are up to very soon, but I don't want to persist with all the others if they are not going to make it.

I know I can candle them in a few days and try to see if they are still going but I guess I am just impatient - and interested in what opinions you wonderful BYC people have!

Cheers, Cate

 

[Wisher1000]

Don't worry, Cate, they should all be fine. Just get them up to where they are supposed to be and carry on as if nothing happened.

 

[dorpersheep]

Thanks Wisher - I've got my fingers crossed, and today on day 20 for the first batch affected we have two fluffies, so I guess all was not lost after all!

 

[Lalegid]

Glad to hear you have some chicks! I think the rest will be fine too I've had an incubator break on me, it was cold for up to 12 hours. Most of the chicks survived!

 

[khansid]

Felt happy ua fluffies are hatched
but I am hving a 10 eggs under a broody

today is day 19
I candled and all of dem are wobbling since day 17 but no peeping!!!

 

[seminolewind]

Post pics when they're hatched.

 

[LPeaslee]

I wouldn't worry about the 2hr cool down.
The Brinsea Advanced incubators actually have a cooling option built in and the recommended cooling time is 2hr. Brinsea has research that suggests a daily cooling cycle, simulates the broody leaving the nest for food and actually improves incubator hatch rates. At day 19 and until hatch (lock-down), the cooling isn't performed.

If you want to read the claims by Brinsea, here is a the link. https://www.brinsea.com/articles/news/cooling.aspx

 

[dorpersheep]

Thanks LPeaslee, that's interesting as I have wondered whether incubators should be set to replicate the hens movements, that answers that question!
We had 75% hatch from this weeks group (3 of 4) and I candled the rest last night and saw lots of movement and normal looking development so I am feeling hopeful they will generally be ok.
Not sure on the guineas though, they are hard to candle and most looked empty but I will leave them in for longer, as they take longer to hatch I am assuming they will take longer to develop too.
Thank you again! Cheers Cate

 

[Wisher1000]

I came back and saw this late, can we get an update? I DO hope that you figured out that guinea eggs take a week longer than chicken eggs.....

 

[dorpersheep]

Hi Wisher

yes I was well aware from the outset the guineas would keep me waiting an extra week.

Another lot of chicken eggs hatched the past couple of days, we ended up with about 80% last week and again this week.

Sadly the guineas which are due to hatch next week were the losses of the power failure, of 4.5 dozen eggs, there are only 8 left (and I think 2 of those have quit recently). All the others were going but stopped developing at the exact same point in each one, and appears to have been very early on - which would time in with the power failure.
I am guessing that being smaller with a less amount of fluid to act as insulation they cooled down faster than the chickens did.